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Workout Log

B!*$H I’m Back!!!
Ok that was a bit much…. But I’m so pumped because I feel like I’m getting my fitness mojo back after experiencing a huge slump that was going on eights weeks. My lack of workout posts have likely been telling.

It started before I went on vacation, having never quite recovered from an early 2017 bout with gloominess. I told myself that I would get back on it when I returned to ‘Murica. That still didn’t happen. I then found myself in a place where I’ve averaged about one run per week over these last two months. My body and spirit haven’t been responding kindly. Couple that with the fact that I’ve been getting way too much of my calorie intake from cheddar bunnies, I knew that I just had to suck it up and get it together. Here’s how last week unfolded:

Monday: Nothing…..I let myself have this but this was it! Tomorrow I was going to workout come hell or high water.

Tuesday: I figured a short morning run was the best way to ease back in. Once I took those first few strides, I knew it was going to take some mental toughness to get through. To start, I don’t have ANY natural affinity for running so any amount of conditioning that I lose sets me back by quite a lot. By mile two I felt my spirit dampen a bit…I was putting in the effort: grunting, huffing, and puffing, but it felt like I was running through quicksand. I was so happy when it was over. The first one back is always the hardest.

Wednesday: I treated myself to an encore run courtesy of my Back On My Feet crew. Our run leader led us through 800M intervals…….and yeah……..maybe the second one back is always the hardest.

Thursday: Rest. My ego was a little bruised by this point. My sporadic knee pain also began to flare up, ugh. Hello, Thirties.

Friday: FlyWheel class with my fave instructor, Alanna. She is so cool and energetic, and has really great music. But she does not play; she refuses to let anyone phone it in near the end of class. Her last few songs will often contain some of the hardest intervals and choreography of the 45 min class. There were times when I just sat my booty on the spin bike and just tried to pedal as hard as possible because it felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest if I stayed in third position. You would think I am a 300+ power rider the way I was carrying on.

Saturday: Went out to run 3 miles at 8pm. I’d made some baked macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato casserole earlier. With the amount of butter, cheese, and sugar that went into these dishes, I was going to have to earn some of those calories.

you know I ate more than this one piece

Sunday: Morning RippedPHL class. I skipped the treadmill portion of class and focused on strength training only. There was a great deal of shoulder and leg work (might have to moderate my water intake as my legs will probably be screaming tomorrow, and I can’t get up to pee every 30 seconds).

So there you have it; it starts with that first step! Let’s pray I can ride this wave. CONSISTENCY is KEY and SUMMER IS COMING (this is screaming for a Game of Thrones joke but I think I’ve hit my corny quota for this week).

What about you; how did you move your body this week? What do you do to get out of a fitness slump?

I hope you have a wonderful week! May you run into it head on, like this impala is running to wherever the heck s/he is going.

I had several workouts this week where I didn’t give 100%….I barely gave 60%.

Monday: 3 mile run after work. These are always terrible. I would rather do anything else than run after work. ANYTHING. This is part of why I hate missing morning workouts (as annoying as those can be); my post-work exercise motivation is extremely difficult to conjure. Coupled with the fact that I am not a particularly adept runner, I literally have to chant soliloquies of motivation and look at multiple pictures of Misty Copeland and/or Serena Williams to get through this.

Tuesday:Hot Yin-Yasa Class at Priya Hot Yoga. This was my first time practicing at this hot yoga studio in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. The studio itself was nice – clean, airy, and welcoming. But I didn’t enjoy the class at all. First, I really only have the attention span to work out for 60 minutes tops. After that, I’m actively wishing I was anywhere else. 75 minute and 90 minute yoga classes (which are numerous in Philly) just don’t jive with my spirit. This class was also heavy on the ‘yin’ portion; it was super restorative, which has many benefits, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Holding poses for minutes at a time causes my mind to wander and also wonder when it’s going to end. I’m sure this means that I’m rejecting the central tenets of yoga, but to be honest I prefer a quick, fiery vinyasa flow more than anything. I definitely need to work on my yogi zen……in the future.

Wednesday: Post work, at home workout. Thank you to Tony Horton’s 22 Minute Hard Corps Workout + 10 minute Abs. This is a great workout to do when you are short on time. My husband is a Tony Horton Fan (I myself can’t believe he’s 58!!) so we have a few of his workout series.

Saturday: 7:30 am heated Yoga Sculpt Class at Core Power Yoga. It is SO HOT in this room. SO HOOOOOOOOTTTTTT. It’s like no matter where you stand, the heat is directly blasting on you. But I ran into a friend here so it was fun catching a workout with her.

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Hi, I’m Estelle! Welcome to my little space, where I serve up a glimpse into my life in the city of Brotherly Love. Everyday, I try to create a better version of myself and a better world for others by: eating well, moving my body, working in service of educational equity, staying civically engaged. You can find me at ahappyserving@gmail.com.

Civic Engagement

"Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes."

"Civic engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to
the community."

(Excerpts from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published by Oryx Press, 2000.)

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Disclaimer

I am not a physician, registered dietician, or other health professional. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice.